Halo 3
.]]Halo 3 is a game by Bungie and, supposedly, the final game for Bungie in the Halo saga (another company is creating Halo Wars). Bungie is notoriously secretive and only releases small amounts of information at a time. However, in Halo 3 Trailer - Behind the Scenes, Bungie confirmed that the trailer was made using in game assets and that the final product will be very similar to the trailer. Release Date Bungie has offically announced that Halo 3 will be released in the fall of 2007. A public beta test will be available in Spring 2007, with the full game coming out sometime afterwards in that year.Halo 3 to have public beta test By by the BBC Thursday, 16 November 2006, 09:11 GMT The 2007 release date for Halo 3 hasn't been set yet but there has been a lot of speculation. Companies like Best Buy and Gamestop.com are predicting the November mark (Gamestop states Nov 2, 07gamestop.com Release Date and Best Buy states Nov 15, 2007Best Buy Halo 3 Release Date - Accessed on Dec, 2006). Amazon.co.uk states the release date as 23rd November 2007. There have also been a number of websites that are counting down to the date of Halo 3s release. Halo 3 Count Downis a site that is counting down to the days, hours, minutes and seconds until Halo 3 is released. The only thing bungie will say so far about Halo 3's release date is "when its finished". *Halo 3 will ship in 3 different versions: **Normal version: includes game. **Collector's Edition: includes game and extra DVD containing extra/bonus content. **Legendary edition: includes a replica of Master Chief's helmet, and 4 discs. ***Disk 1: game ***disc 2: making of the game ***disc 3: spin-off material(Red vs. Blue, etc...) ***disk 4: every cutscene from Halo 1, Halo 2, and Halo 3 in high-def. Pre-Alpha For Christmas, Microsoft & Bungie gave the U.S. soldiers in Iraq a chance to play the Halo 3 multiplayer public pre-alpha.http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/12501/US-Soldiers-Get-to-Play-Halo-3-Beta-Footage-Leaked/ Trailer Analysis "The trailer was built to have minimum impact on the development process, and while it required long hours and hard work from many, many Bungie staffers, it utilizes real-game assets, fiction and locations from parts of the "real" game." Cortana's line in the trailer: "This is the way the world ends,"Please have Cortana's lines pronounced so that I don't see 36 threads about it. "I have defied gods and demons." "I am your shield, I am your SWORD." "I know you, your past, your future." "This is the way the world ends." Frankie --Weekly Update May 12, 2006 references the first of the Cortana Letters. The line itself refers to T. S. Eliot's The Hollow Men, which ends: :This is the way the world ends :Not with a bang but a whimper. Cortana's emphasis on "this" implies she is rejecting the poem, and that the world will end with a bang. Plot Line The details of the plot have yet to be revealed. All Bungie has confirmed is that the Master Chief has returned to Earth. The Covenant has uncovered a massive and ancient Forerunner artifact under New Mombasa (The mountain in the background is indeed KilimanjaroThat is indeed the ruins of New Mombasa. The artifact and the Chief are where they appear to be, on the desert outskirts of New Mombasa, and many miles inland. The mountain behind him is Kilimanjaro. -- Bungie.net Weekly Update May 12, 2006)and Cortana is still trapped in the clutches of the Gravemind. The Ark - seen in the Halo 3 trailer.]] The Ark is mentioned in Halo 2 as a place where all the Halo rings could be fired at once. While the structure in the trailer is thought to be, but not officially confirmed as, The Ark. All evidence points to it being the Ark: *In the Halo Graphic Novel one Elite says "We need to clear this area before we can secure access to The Ark" -- Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa. *It is also seen in this small sketch from the DVD. Also, in Bungie's FAQ, they said that although they wouldn't tell what the structure is, Halo fans may recognize it. The structure looks somewhat similar to a structure seen in the Halo 2 multiplayer map Ascension or the circular structures on the exterior of Halo which is visible in the opening menu of Halo. It also looks like the dock that the Forerunner ship at the end of Halo 2 was stationed in. Bungie may also be refering to the Jjaro station in Marathon Infinity (an artifact used to contain a being within a sun). Also, in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the Dyson Portal is described very similarly to the structure, albeit much smaller. There is also an interesting comparison here. http://www.seryan.com/msfm/specialpics/H3-ArtifactCompare.jpg Screenshot Anomalies *In one screenshot, the word "Puma" can be seen on the tires of the Warthog, this is possible homage to the popular online Machinima series Red vs Blue, which uses the Halo game engine. *In screenshots in the campaign mode and the Halo Trailer, there is Master Chief armed with the new MA5C Assault Rifle, and in the middle of the gun, there is the Marathon symbol, Click here for Image. Weapons These are the confirmed weapons known to be in the game: Covenant *Brute Shot Confirmed in H3 ViDoc *CarbineBungie Weekly Update Posted by Frankie at 8/11/2006 4:41 PM PST- Confirmed in Weekly Update, and seen being weilded by an Elite in "Et tu Brute?" *Energy Sword - Seen wielded in H3 ViDoc by Brutes and Elites, and actually dual wielded by an Elite *Gravity Hammer - Seen in "Starry Night" CGI Trailer for Halo 3 (Carried by a Brute) *Particle Beam Rifle- Confirmed by Frankie on Bungie.net article, seen in the "Et tu Brute?" weilded by an Elite when being attacked by a pack of Brutes *Plasma Cannon - Seen carried by a Brute Chieftain in H3 ViDoc *Plasma Pistol - Seen on ground in H3 ViDoc *Plasma Rifle-Seen carried by Master Chief on Bungie.net *Plasma Grenade *Spiker - aka Spike Rifle is a new Brute weapon. *Spike Grenade - A sticking grenade that shoots spikes.http://forums.xbox.com/7661336/ShowPost.aspx *Needler - Seen on ground in H3 ViDoc United Nations Space Command trailer]] *Battle Rifle *Frag Grenade *Gun Turret - Seen in High Ground screenshots *MA5C Assault Rifle - A new version, the MA5C Exclusive in-depth look at three multiplayer maps By Luke Smith 11/08/2006 With the MA5C Assault Rifle, the clip-size has been drastically reduced from 60 to 32, and as a trade-off, the weapon's accuracy at long-range has been increased. Why the revisions to the Assault Rifle? Well, the starting weapon in Halo 2 -- the SMG -- didn't exactly work out how Bungie wanted it to. Jamie Griesemer, lead designer on Halo 3 (you know, that "30-seconds of fun" guy), points to the two previous starting weapons and their problems. "It shouldn't do headshots... and it shouldn't be dual wieldable," according to Griesemer. The new MA5C Assault Rifle allows neither. Instead, in the MA5C, Bungie believes it's found the third side of the multiplayer "Golden Tripod" (seriously... Bungie's words, not ours) -- Melee attacks and Grenades need to supplement a versatile, functional (but not too functional) starting weapon. *Rocket Launcher -Confirmed in Et Tu Brute video *M6D -Seen in starry night commercial, and confirmed by Frankie in a weekly update. *Sub-Machine Gun (has been made 'pointier') *Bubble Shield - Seen in "Starry Night" CGI Trailer for Halo 3. Later Frankie hinted that it wasn't a grenade during a chat on the bungie.net IRC. *Shotgun - Seen in operation in H3 ViDo *Spartan Laser - An anti-vehicle weapon. *Sniper Rifle - In Snowbound Vehicles Covenant showing a Brute in Halo 3]] *Bansheehttp://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?cid=8718 - E3 Trailer. *Brute Ghosthttp://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3154510 - 1UP.com *Ghost - Halo 3 Alpha Screenshots. *Phantom - E3 Trailer. *Wraith - Confirmed in EGM's "3 Weeks of Halo 3" *Brute Wraith - Possible new Brute vehicle, seen in "Starry Night" commercial. *Chopper - Possible new vehicle mentioned in the bungie.net article about the Spartan Laser. "I engaged an enemy chopper at a range of meters. The target immediately erupted into flames. Both vehicle and rider were eliminated." "My spotter positively identified the local bravo kilo sub-chieftain. I engaged the target at ... meters. The shot burned an approximately ... diameter hole through the target and severely damaged the mauler he had just dismounted." -- Bungie Laser Article - Posted by KPaul at 1/31/2007 4:58 PM PST *Mauler - Possible new vehicle mentioned in the bungie.net article about the Spartan Laser, could also be the name for the Brute Ghost. UNSC *Pelican - Halo 3 Alpha Screenshots. *Mongoose - Halo 3 Alpha Screenshots. *Warthog - Halo 3 Alpha Screenshots. *Gauss Warthog - Confirmed in EGM's account of small campaign video *Part of what looks like a Scorpion Tank can be seen in a High Ground screenshot.This has NOT been confirmed.The parts seen look like a turret and hatch. Multiplayer Levels *Valhalla *High Ground *Snowbound *Large indoor level Xbox Live Features: According to bungie in EGM, Halo 3 will be taking XBL to the next level, if you create a gametype, you can advertise it, and if it gets good ratings it will become a matchmade game, and if you have the vision camera you will be able to video chat with your friends, and the ranking system will be based on actual military ranks, instead of numbers. And now you can rank up in custom games. Characters *Master Chief *Cortana *Sergeant Johnson *Miranda Keyes *Marines *Grunts *Jackals *Elites *Brutes *Drones *Gravemind *Arbiter New Features * The physics have improved for this game greatly. http://www.msngamenews.com/pages/topgames/?page=game * It seems that characters' limbs may now be severed. For in part of the Halo 3 ViDoc trailer a brute ripped the arms clean off a marine, or when the duel sword wielding elite chopped off both off a brute's legs before stabbing him in the chest. If you watch carefully the first time the chief shot a brute up close with a shotgun his limbs including head and chest flew in all different directions. *Some Grunts seem to still be on the Brutes' side of the war. *The Man Cannon is an addition capable of catapulting a player across a multiplayer. It seems to have replaced the teleporters for Halo 3. * Energy Sheild doors have been added to some multiplayer levels, which allow players to pass through, but cannot be shot through. Spike grenades can stick to these walls *It might be also important to note that the graphics seen in the Alpha build in the Halo 3 ViDoc are not the graphics that are going to be in the game. Have no fear, they will improve. Also the shotgun light looks to have been changed from green to blue (the light is right above the ammo gauge) and you might be able to dual wield energy swords. *Decorators, such as grass and weeds, will move when too close to a grenade explosion or rocket explosion. They will also be affected by the weather, such as wind. Some of these decorators are said to be completely destructible. *Mathcmaking will feature more customizations akin to the pre-game options from Halo. As revealed in a Weekly Update, these customizations include a feature for manipulating gravity. http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=ohhhhhhhtakeit *You can turn the camera when you die in multiplayer, so you can see the one who killed you.(leaked footage n.4) *There is a more detailed way of changing your button layout. *The Gravity-Towers(blue Jackal sniping towers) are now destructable. Confirmed facts about Halo 3 *It is very likely Half-Jaw will be a chracter in Halo 3 because Joyride stated that they will not be making a Half- Jaw action figure for Halo 3 because he is essentially an elite with a color change. *The matchmaking system from Halo 2 will be revamped. Call signs will be used instead of small HUD emblems to identify allies. Also, Halo 3's matchmaking system will be based on two different ranks, skill and experience, in order to make the system more fair and to reflect the effect of experience on players' profiles.http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3155479 *A new version of the Assault Rifle (The MA5C)makes an appearance. *Master Chief's gloves and armor have also changed noticeably. *Bungie says that despite several triple wielding illustrations, that is purely fictional and was drawn with an artistic license. *The combat AI is said to be in testing. *There will be an ingame video recorder that will allow the player to send and recieve machinima videos over Xbox Live.1up-confirms-halo-3-news-more-to-come *Bungie has confirmed via their Weekly Update at Bungie.net that multiplayer as well as singleplayer testing are currently in progress for the title, in varying stages of completion. *The Bungie website also alluded to "a devastated and Covenant controlled Earth". *During the Bungie Weekly update of 8-11 it mentions that the testing of the combat dialog for Marines, Elites, and Brutes was underway. So it can be inferred that Brutes will be in the game. Also it alluded to Ghosts and the dialog that would be said when one was hijacked. *Bungie revealed that the game would have a new "materials system" so advanced that "you could see light reflect off the ground and onto his armor", which will be able to "show the difference between his armor and the rubber undersuit". The site also includes that "It's so detailed that if you bring the camera close to the Master Chief's visor, you see everything in front of him reflected in it, right down to the ammo counter in his rifle" http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/halo3/news.html?sid=6149725. In addition, there would be new advanced texturing to reflect permanent, persistent damage. *In the trailer, Master Chief's Mark VI armor is battle-worn and plasma-scored. Developer Marcus R. Lehto's response: "The Chief is shown as warrior who has seen horrific battle – and it shows. The Earth is dry, barren, ravaged by the Covenant." *Actress Julie Benz is not voicing Miranda Keyes for Halo 3 as she was never approached by Bungie to reprise the role. Dexter's No. 1 Gal — Julie Benz — Previews a Killer Finale Friday, December 15, 2006 ''TVGuide.com: Are you all done with your voice work for the Halo 3 video game? Julie Benz: You know what? I am actually not a part of Halo 3. I was informed a couple of weeks ago that they are actually changing the voice of Captain Miranda Keyes, and giving her an accent.'' *Bungie has confirmed crates in the game in one of their updates. *The Master Chief from Halo and Halo 2 is confirmed to be the Spartan in the Halo 3 trailer. *Although Halo 3 was planned to end the Halo series, future Halo games haven't been entirely ruled out. On the Halo 3 FAQ from the official Bungie website it says, "Q: Is this the last ever Halo game? A: It is the conclusion to this story arc." Fans note that it is therefore possible that future games could be produced in the Halo universe, even if this particular story arc isn't continued. This was confirmed when Bungie released that the game Halo Wars will be released and is in creation. *Multiplayer characters have their secondary weapons on their body, visible to other players.Image:Spikers.jpg *On November 15, Microsoft and Bungie announced a 60 second TV spot to air on Monday Night Football, December 4th on ESPN. And will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace shortly after. *Bungie has confirmed that the "face" in the Halo 3 trailer was nothing more than reflections of clouds and Covenant ships. *In the November 11 Bungie Weekly Update, it has been stated that due to a "significant chunk" of Halo 2 players being female, there might be an option to have a female voice for the Spartan character in multiplayer.Bungie Weekly Update Posted by Frankie at 11/10/2006 5:34 PM PST *In the December 15 Bungie weekly update Frankie stated that Brutes would NOT be playable characters in Halo 3.The fact is, Brutes in Halo 3 will be significantly more exciting, clever, graphically impressive, terrifying, numerous and angrier than in Halo 2, but they won't be playable, especially since you, in the role of Master Chief, will be spending a significant amount of effort and ammunition reducing their population.Bungie Weekly Update Posted by Frankie at 12/15/2006 10:47 AM PST *Weapons can now be reloaded individually when dual wielding. The right bumper will correspond with the right weapon and the left bumper will correspond with the left weapon. When not dual wielding, the right bumper will reload and the left bumper will switch grenade types. Also, the X button will be used for a new feature, although what that feature is is still a mystery. *Actress Jen Taylor will continue to voice Cortana, as revealed in a Bungie Weekly Update. Sources Related Links Internal *Halo 3 Announcement Trailer *Halo 3 Credits *60sec ESPN Commerical Starry Night *ViDoc: Et Tu Brute a 7 min documentry about the BrutesViDoc: Et Tu Brute External *Bungie's Announcement * IMDB Entry on Halo 3 Category:Games Fansites *- Halo Bungie.org *- HaloFactor - First german Halo 3 Webpage *- Forum about Halo